The Lavasky virus falls within the VoidCrypt ransomware family. Malware of such sort encrypts all the data on your computer (images, text files, excel tables, audio files, videos, etc) and adds its specific extension to every file, creating the unlock-info.txt text files in every directory which contains the encrypted files.
Lavasky virus: what is known so far?
☝️ A scientifically accurate denomination for the Lavasky is “a VoidCrypt family ransomware-type malicious agent”.
The pattern of renaming is the following: (victimID)(contact_email).lavasky. In the process of encryption, a file named, for instance, “report.docx” will be altered to “report.docx.(CW-MX8607321954)([email protected]).lavasky”.
In each directory with the encrypted files, a unlock-info.txt file will be found. It is a ransom money memo. It contains information on the ways of paying the ransom and some other remarks. The ransom note usually contains a description of how to buy the decryption tool from the ransomware developers. You can obtain this decrypting software after contacting [email protected] through email. That is basically the scheme of the felony.
Lavasky overview:
| Name | Lavasky Virus |
| Ransomware family1 | VoidCrypt ransomware |
| Extension | .lavasky |
| Ransomware note | unlock-info.txt |
| Contact | [email protected] |
| Detection | Win32/Filecoder.OMD, Win32/Filecoder.BlackMatter.E, BScope.TrojanDownloader.Smoke |
| Symptoms | Your files (photos, videos, documents) get a .lavasky extension and you can’t open them. |
| Fix Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by Lavasky virus |
The unlock-info.txt file accompanying the Lavasky ransomware provides the following dispiriting information:
All your files have been encrypted! All your files have been encrypted due to a security problem with your PC. If you want to restore them, write us to the e-mail; [email protected] Write this ID in the title of your message : - In case of no answer in 24 hours write us to theese e-mails: [email protected] You have to pay for decryption in Bitcoins. The price depends on how fast you write to us. After payment we will send you the decryption tool that will decrypt all your files. Free decryption as guarantee Before paying you can send us up to 1 file for free decryption. The total size of files must be less than 1Mb (non archived), and files should not contain valuable information. (databases,backups, large excel sheets, etc.) How to obtain Bitcoins The easiest way to buy bitcoins is LocalBitcoins site. You have to register, click \'Buy bitcoins\', and select the seller by payment method and price. hxxps://localbitcoins.com/buy_bitcoins Also you can find other places to buy Bitcoins and beginners guide here: hxxp://www.coindesk.com/information/how-can-i-buy-bitcoins/ Attention! Do not rename encrypted files. Do not try to decrypt your data using third party software, it may cause permanent data loss. Decryption of your files with the help of third parties may cause increased price (they add their fee to our) or you can become a victim of a scam.
In the image below, you can see what a folder with files encrypted by the Lavasky looks like. Each filename has the “.lavasky” extension added to it.
An example of encrypted .lavasky files.
How did Lavasky ransomware end up on my PC?
There is a huge number of possible ways of ransomware infiltration.
Nowadays, there are three most exploited methods for tamperers to have ransomware planted in your digital environment. These are email spam, Trojan infiltration and peer-to-peer file transfer.
If you open your mailbox and see emails that look like familiar notifications from utility services providers, delivery agencies like FedEx, web-access providers, and whatnot, but whose “from” field is unknown to you, be wary of opening those emails. They are most likely to have a viral file attached to them. Therefore, it is even more dangerous to download any attachments that come with letters like these.
Another option for ransom hunters is a Trojan virus model2. A Trojan is a program that infiltrates into your machine pretending to be something different. For example, you download an installer of some program you want or an update for some program. But what is unpacked reveals itself a harmful agent that corrupts your data. Since the installation file can have any title and any icon, you’d better be sure that you can trust the source of the files you’re downloading. The optimal way is to trust the software developers’ official websites.
As for the peer file transfer protocols like torrents or eMule, the threat is that they are even more trust-based than the rest of the Internet. You can never know what you download until you get it. So you’d better be using trustworthy websites. Also, it is a good idea to scan the directory containing the downloaded items with the anti-malware utility as soon as the downloading is done.
How do I get rid of the Lavasky virus?
It is crucial to note that besides encrypting your files, the Lavasky virus will probably install the Azorult Spyware on your computer to seize your credentials to various accounts (including cryptocurrency wallets). The mentioned program can extract your logins and passwords from your browser’s auto-filling data.
Often tamperers would decode few of your files to prove that they indeed have the decryption tool. As Lavasky virus is a relatively new ransomware, security software engineers have not yet found a way to reverse its work. Nevertheless, the anti-ransomware instruments are frequently updated, so the solution may soon arrive.
Understandably, if the evildoers do the job of encoding victim’s critical files, the desperate person will most likely fulfill their demands. However, paying to racketeers does not necessarily mean that you’re getting your data back. It is still risky. After getting the money, the racketeers may deliver a wrong decryption code to the injured party. There were reports of racketeers simply disappearing after getting the money without even writing back.
The best safety measure against ransomware is to have aan OS restore point or the copies of your essential files in the cloud disk or at least on an external storage. Of course, that might be insufficient. Your most crucial thing could be that one you were working on when it all happened. Nevertheless, it is something. It is also wise to scan your drives with the anti-malware utility after the OS is rolled back.
There are other ransomware products, besides Lavasky, that work similarly. For instance, Qqjj, Qqmt, Qqkk, and some others. The two basic differences between them and the Lavasky are the ransom amount and the encoding method. The rest is almost identical: documents become inaccessible, their extensions altered, ransom notes emerge in each folder containing encoded files.
Some lucky victims were able to decode the blocked files with the aid of the free software provided by anti-ransomware experts. Sometimes the racketeers accidentally send the decoding key to the wronged in the ransom readme. Such an extraordinary fail allows the user to restore the files. But naturally, one should never rely on such a chance. Make no mistake, ransomware is a tamperers’ tool to pull the money out of their victims.
How сan I avoid ransomware attack?
Lavasky ransomware doesn’t have a endless power, neither does any similar malware.
You can protect your PC from its injection in three easy steps:
- Ignore any emails from unknown mailers with strange addresses, or with content that has nothing to do with something you are expecting (can you win in a money prize draw without participating in it?). In case the email subject is more or less something you are expecting, check all elements of the dubious letter carefully. A hoax email will always contain a mistake.
- Never use cracked or unknown software. Trojans are often distributed as an element of cracked software, possibly as a “patch” to prevent the license check. Understandably, dubious programs are very hard to tell from reliable software, because trojans may also have the functionality you need. You can try searching for information on this software product on the anti-malware message boards, but the best way is not to use such software.
- And finally, to be sure about the safety of the objects you downloaded, check them with GridinSoft Anti-Malware. This software will be a powerful shield for your PC.
Reasons why I would recommend GridinSoft3
There is no better way to recognize, remove and prevent ransomware than to use an anti-malware software from GridinSoft4.
Download Removal Tool.
You can download GridinSoft Anti-Malware by clicking the button below:
Run the setup file.
When setup file has finished downloading, double-click on the setup-antimalware-fix.exe file to install GridinSoft Anti-Malware on your computer.
An User Account Control asking you about to allow GridinSoft Anti-Malware to make changes to your device. So, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
Press “Install” button.
Once installed, Anti-Malware will automatically run.
Wait for the Anti-Malware scan to complete.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will automatically start scanning your computer for Lavasky infections and other malicious programs. This process can take a 20-30 minutes, so I suggest you periodically check on the status of the scan process.
Click on “Clean Now”.
When the scan has finished, you will see the list of infections that GridinSoft Anti-Malware has detected. To remove them click on the “Clean Now” button in right corner.
FAQ
🤔 Is it possible to open “.lavasky” files?
There’s no way to do it, unless the files “.lavasky” files are decrypted.
🤔 I really need to decrypt those “.lavasky” files ASAP. How can I do that?
Hopefully, you have made a copy of those important files. In case you haven’t, there is still a chance that you do have a Restore Point from some time ago to roll back the whole system to the moment when it had no virus yet, but already had your files. All other solutions require time.
🤔 Will GridinSoft Anti-Malware remove all the encrypted files alongside the Lavasky virus?
Of course not. The encrypted files are not harmful, so they won’t be deleted.
GridinSoft Anti-Malware will remove actual threats from your PC. The ransomware that has infiltrated your device is probably still functional and launching checks periodically to arrest any new files you might create on your computer after the initial attack. As it has already been said, the Lavasky virus does not come alone. It installs backdoors and keyloggers that can take your account passwords by trespass and provide criminals with easy access to your computer after some time.
🤔 What actions should I take if the Lavasky malware has blocked my PC and I can’t get the activation key.
In such a case, you need to prepare a memory stick with a previously installed Trojan Killer. Use Safe Mode to perform the procedure. You see, the ransomware starts automatically as the system boots and encodes any new files created or imported into your system. To block this function – use Safe Mode, which allows only the essential applications to run upon system boot. Consider reading our manual on booting Windows in Safe Mode.
🤔 And what should I do now?
Many of the encrypted files might still be at your disposal
- If you sent or received your critical files via email, you could still download them from your online mailbox.
- You may have shared images or videos with your friends or family members. Just ask them to send those images back to you.
- If you have initially downloaded any of your files from the Internet, you can try doing it again.
- Your messengers, social media pages, and cloud drives might have all those files as well.
- It might be that you still have the needed files on your old computer, a laptop, cellphone, memory stick, etc.
USEFUL TIP: You can employ data recovery utilities5 to retrieve your lost information since ransomware encodes the copies of your files, deleting the original ones. In the tutorial below, you can see how to recover your files with PhotoRec, but remember: you can do it only after you kill the virus with an anti-malware program.
Also, you can contact the following governmental fraud and scam sites to report this attack:
- In the United States: On Guard Online;
- In Canada: Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- In the United Kingdom: Action Fraud;
- In Australia: SCAMwatch;
- In New Zealand: Consumer Affairs Scams;
- In France: Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information;
- In Germany: Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik;
- In Ireland: An Garda Síochána;
To report the attack, you can contact local executive boards. For instance, if you live in USA, you can have a talk with FBI Local field office, IC3 or Secret Service.
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Brendan SmithHow to Remove LAVASKY Ransomware & Recover PC
Name: LAVASKY Virus
Description: LAVASKY Virus is a ransomware-type infections. This virus encrypts important personal files (video, photos, documents). The encrypted files can be tracked by a specific .lavasky extension. So, you can't use them at all.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Virus
User Review
( votes)References
- My files are encrypted by ransomware, what should I do now?
- You can read more on Trojans, their use and types in the Trojan-dedicated section of GridinSoft official website.
- GridinSoft Anti-Malware Review from HowToFix site: https://howtofix.guide/gridinsoft-anti-malware/
- More information about GridinSoft products: https://gridinsoft.com/comparison
- Here’s the list of Best Data Recovery Software Of 2023.
